German electronics company Infineon has introduced a 60GHz radar sensor for healthcare devices.

The Xensiv BGT60UTR11AIP measures 16mm², and is said to be the smallest 60GHz radar sensor with antennas in package on the market.

It is designed for integration into small devices, making it suitable for vital sensing such as heart and respiratory rate, and healthcare devices such as baby monitors and sleep trackers.

It is also suitable for consumer electronics such as laptops, TVs and cameras, as well as smart home and building devices such as air conditioners, thermostats and smart doorbells. The sensor can also be used in industrial applications including robotics and tank level measurement.

The monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) is based on Infineon’s B11 SiGe BiCMOS technology, which ensures radio frequency (RF) performance. The chip has an ultra-wide bandwidth of 5.6GHz and a ramp speed of 400MHz/µs. As a result, the sensor enables high-resolution frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) operation with sensitive presence and motion detection at a range of up to 15m.

In addition, the sensor enables precise distance measurement, 1D gesture and vital sign detection, all with sub-mm motion detection capabilities.

The integrated antennas provide a ±60˚ field of view. Additionally, an integrated state machine enables real-time data acquisition without processor interaction. The MMIC also includes a 12bit analogue-to-digital converter with a sampling rate of up to 4MS/s.

The built-in broadcast mode allows multiple chips to be synchronised. It also includes on-chip sensors for measuring Tx output power and temperature. Low-power operation is enabled by hardware deep sleep mode.

The device can be ordered now and will begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Infineon’s associated partner RFbeam Microwave has integrated the BGT60UTR11AIP radar transceiver into its V-LD1 level measurement module. RFbeam also offers an evaluation kit for the V-LD1 module, which can be used with a lens to focus the radar beam to an area of 8 x 8˚.